Translator: Dreamscribe
The final cut of Episode 8 of 'Produce That 100!'
-["Hello, I'm No. 1."]
Kang Rojun standing alone in front of the stage was calmly making his declaration.
-["I wrote 'Rental Lover'."]
The camera angle slowly zooms in on Rojun's face for about three seconds. Then immediately cuts to black. Right after, commercials begin playing.
In other words, Episode 8 of 'Produce That 100!' had ended.
However, the hundreds of thousands of viewers in the real-time open chat showed no signs of dispersing.
-Huh?????
-What just happened at the end??
-???
-Whoa????
-So it's true No. 1 wrote Rental Lover??!
-Hold on!! How can it end like this!!
-Wow... insane...
-It ends like this???
Rather, the reactions were several times more heated than during the broadcast.
-ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ I seriously didn't expect this
-He really made the declaration on Produce That 100! ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ and so damn assertively ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-So villain-like, that super short statement ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-He openly admitted it, so Rental Lover was definitely written by No. 1
-Where did all those people who called it fake run off to?? haha
-For real, No. 1 has star quality ㅋㅋㅋㅋ I've never seen this happen in the idol scene ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Wait, so No. 1 was not only dominating Produce That 100! but also writing scripts???; crazy
-Seriously a disruptor ㅋㅋㅋㅋ vocals, dance, his face doesn't even seem human and now he's a writer too???
-↑ He works out like crazy too so his body is amazing ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Ha... this is why I can't quit fangirling...
Even though the show had ended, the viewer reactions showed no sign of stopping. It was the kind of performance that warranted it. After all, No. 1 himself had addressed the hot topic that had been stirring things up for about a week, directly and clearly, on 'Produce That 100!'.
Those who knew Kang Rojun reacted similarly.
Especially chaotic was the set of 'Rental Lover'.
The 'Rental Lover' team had been watching 'Produce That 100!' briefly during a break in filming, and they couldn't help but gasp at the last cut showing Kang Rojun's declaration.
"Wow- so straightforward."
"That was refreshing?? I was wondering how he'd make an official statement, and he went and did it on Produce That 100!"
"Whoever thought of this idea, it's definitely going to pull in some real attention!"
"Needless to say. Reporters are probably hammering out articles like crazy right now."
"This is good. It not only highlights our writer-nim's character but also pulls attention in."
"This way, writer-nim gets spotlighted, and 'Rental Lover' gets another boost!"
Amid the chaos, PD Jung Soo-ryeong was also smiling.
'Aha- so that's how you played it? Was it PD Woo Han-suk's idea? No, judging from how bold it was, maybe it was Rojun's. Either way, it's simple and to the point. This will definitely stir things up for a few more days.'
It was an incredible promotional effect. After a week of chaos with rumors and controversy, this kind of attention-grabbing performance was set to keep the buzz alive well into the following week.
Next to PD Jung Soo-ryeong, Choi Rina was surprised but also relieved.
'Now the media won't keep pestering writer-nim! I feel so relieved!'
Apparently, she hadn't been happy about the media and public opinion subtly attacking Kang Rojun. Meanwhile, over at the Paju Campus dorms, where dozens of contestants were watching Episode 8 of 'Produce That 100!', chaos broke out.
"Huh?? No. 1 is, actually the writer of Rental Lover??!"
"Wow... that's insane."
"PD-nim told us before not to get swept up by pointless rumors, so I really didn't expect this!"
"Wait... what's up with No. 1?? We're barely making time to practice, and he's been doing all his schedules and writing too?"
"...Should we go ask him?"
"I feel like other dorms are thinking the same thing."
"L-let's wait for now. If we cause trouble for No. 1, the production team might give us a warning."
Naturally, the eyes of the people in Room 105, which included Kang Rojun, were all fixed on him. No. 19, No. 37, No. 58.
"..."
"..."
With their mouths hanging open or their eyes wide as saucers, the three of them stared silently at Kang Rojun, who cleared his throat.
"Yes, that's how it is."
"Is this... really true??"
"Yes."
"Whoa- shit."
The high-energy No. 19 and No. 37 bombarded Kang Rojun with a flurry of questions, and Rojun answered them moderately. Although No. 58 with the baby perm didn't ask any questions, he still seemed to be in shock.
'Calling him a genius doesn't even cover it. What is this person really???'
It was especially true for No. 58, who had recently been astonished by Rojun's lyrics writing. While the entire 'Produce That 100!' cast, who didn't know the full details about No. 1, was in an uproar.
"'No. 1' appears at the end of 'Produce That 100!' Episode 8 and declares, 'I wrote 'Rental Lover' / Photo"
As if they had been waiting, articles began flooding out.
"'Produce That 100!' star 'No. 1' acknowledges on broadcast that he's the writer of 'Rental Lover'!"
The firepower was overwhelming. With 'Produce That 100!' already pulling viewership ratings well over 20%, it was a show that regularly triggered an explosion of articles. But now with No. 1's major revelation, the volume seemed to have doubled.
"[Issue Talk] 'Rental Lover' starring top actress Choi Rina was indeed written by 'No. 1' from Produce That 100!"
"'Rental Lover', starring top actress Choi Rina...public interest explodes following No. 1's declaration"
This wasn't just a reaction to a contestant from an audition variety show being a writer. It was because that contestant was Kang Rojun, someone already on par with rising stars in terms of recognition, whose path was completely unprecedented in the idol industry, and because the female lead of 'Rental Lover' was one of Korea's top actresses, Choi Rina.
The rarity of it all and the strategies of PD Jung Soo-ryeong and PD Woo Han-suk had clearly worked as a bonus.
As a result, not only news articles but also social media, online communities, and YouTube were soon dominated by 'Produce That 100!' and No. 1.
-The scene in Episode 8 of Produce That 100! where No. 1 admits he's the writer of Rental Lover!!｜LivingRoomIssueTV
-The endless rumors about No. 1 from Produce That 100! being a writer, he confirmed it himself!｜KimLecker
With such explosive content, there was no way the media and public opinion would just move on.
-OMGGGGG so it was real??
-↑Yeah, No. 1 confirmed it himself in Episode 8 of Produce That 100
-No. 1 is seriously legendary ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ did he debut as a writer before even debuting as an idol??
-Normally, idols debut first and then try their hand at acting ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ what's up with No. 1's career path
-I also thought for sure he'd start with acting after seeing his insane visuals ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-But maybe that's why it's even more eye-catching ㅋㅋㅋㅋ an idol who writes scripts?? So refreshing!!
-There's no idol who's a writer, right?
-Maybe No. 1 knows his acting is weak but his writing is strong so he built that up first ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Damn... now that No. 1 said he wrote it, I'm super curious about Rental Lover ㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋㅋ
-Agreed agreed, I want to watch Rental Lover too ㅋㅋㅋㅋ and it's even better with Choi Rina as the female lead
.
.
.
.
The issue that had been burning from Friday night through Saturday morning became even more intense by morning.
In the meantime, the voting for Team 2 and Team 3 was underway.
In addition, the 'Rental Lover' team released an official statement as if it had all been orchestrated.
"'Rental Lover' production team says, 'To us, he's not 'No. 1', he's 'Writer Kang Chul-soo'"
Yes, it had indeed been coordinated between the two production teams.
Meanwhile.
While the entertainment industry, including the media, public opinion, and broadcasting circles, was in turmoil, the person who dropped the nuclear bomb, Kang Rojun.
'Whoa- shit, so many articles are blowing up!'
He felt like he was flying. After all, his face was everywhere he clicked. How could this feeling be described?
'Like being the protagonist of the world??'
It felt like he could do anything right now. Still, Kang Rojun did his best to contain himself. Because there was something PD Jung Soo-ryeong and PD Woo Han-suk had advised him about. That the hotter it got, the faster it would cool down.
'They said this atmosphere that feels like it'll last forever will actually fade faster than expected.'
They had also told him to look at the whole mountain, not just the tree in front of him. At the time, Kang Rojun hadn't fully understood that, but now he was starting to get it.
'No matter how long the buzz lasts, don't get lost in it, just keep doing what you've been doing.'
It was advice from veterans in each field, so it had to be right.
The entertainment industry is a glamorous place. Often compared to fireworks. It's so dazzling in the moment that people lose themselves, but it's fleeting, and many make mistakes after getting intoxicated by that light. They flare up for a moment and then vanish.
On the other hand, a very small number continue to shine and reach the top.
Skill, ability, talent, effort, all of these must be honed and polished to continually present something marketable to the public. That was likely what PD Jung Soo-ryeong and PD Woo Han-suk were trying to tell him.
Kang Rojun's guess was more or less correct.
At the broadcasting station, PD Woo Han-suk was thinking,
'It'd be a problem if Rojun ssi is already satisfied at this level, because he has more than enough potential to go beyond Korea, even overseas. Whether as an idol or in his side job.'
At the filming site, PD Jung Soo-ryeong thought,
'Writer-nim's aura is too impressive to end with just being a top figure in Korea.'
They already had a clear picture of how far into the future Rojun could rise. Someday. No, very soon, he would be beyond their hands, but they had a deep desire to see how far Kang Rojun's presence could grow.
No matter what, Kang Rojun suppressed his heart, which was soaring into the sky, and carried out his scheduled routine.
He had a lot to do.
The moment he woke up, he had to complete his workout and daily mission. After stretching, he moved alone to the practice room to practice. He repeatedly practiced the dances he had already learned: 'Brake' and 'Produce'. After finishing dance practice, he repeatedly sang 'Farewell' for his vocal training.
Maybe it was just his mood, but
'Is it because I gained confidence? I feel like I'm getting better and better?'
It felt like he was producing results beyond what had been taught. Then, in another practice room, the restroom, he checked the 'AI Simulation', and after enhancing his stats, he repeatedly worked on vocals, dance, and rap, which were currently growing.
Even after lunch, there was no time to rest.
Though he had completed all his missions, he went through another round of workouts to keep in shape, then grabbed his laptop and headed to the lounge.
'First- lyrics writing.'
He intended to fulfill the lyrics request from Song Min-geun. In fact, he had already been working on it for a few days. Today was the third day.
The demo track played through the earphones plugged into Rojun's ears.
-♬♪
The mood of the track, the story, emotions, and sensibilities, various elements filled his head. Having listened to it several times, Rojun's hands began to move. He searched for something on the laptop while also writing in his open notebook. About two hours passed in this state.
'Okay, this part's done.'
Stretching his arms wide, Kang Rojun transferred the notes from the notebook into his laptop. Then, as if switching tasks, he closed the notebook.
'Next is the writing part.'
Switching from lyricist to writer Kang Chul-soo, Rojun folded his arms and thought for a moment before coming to a conclusion.
'Should I write a movie for a change?'
He had previously written both short and feature-length dramas and films. Though the situation now was slightly different from the time he considered his work trash writing, his mindset remained the same. Kang Rojun opened a memo saved on his laptop. It was like a collection of ideas he had gathered since the time his face looked grotesque.
"Hm-"
After deciding on one.
-swish.
He began writing the overall synopsis, and with that, Kang Rojun's day, having completed all his tasks, came to an end.
'Oh- It's already this late.'
It was dusk before he knew it.
The next day, Sunday morning, the 6th.
Around 9 o'clock. A recording studio with various musical instruments attached to the wall as decorative items. The rather spacious studio had three or four people present. Two were setting up equipment nearby, and the other two were chatting on the couch in the back.
One of them was the hit song producer, the chubby Song Min-geun.
Chewing on a sandwich a colleague had bought for breakfast, Song Min-geun laughed.
"Hahaha, I've been keeping an eye on No. 58, but No. 1 is just something else, I'm telling you."
"For sure, that No. 1 guy seems to know how to control the public. But when you look at No. 1, doesn't it feel like God really tried for once?"
"It's even more so in person. Your jaw drops. And he's super charming. He might look like he acts on impulse, but when you look deeper, everything has a result."
"I was seriously shocked that he wrote 'Rental Lover'."
It was a topic still blazing in the media and public opinion. Since Song Min-geun was one of the judges, the conversation in this studio was naturally about 'Produce That 100!' and No. 1 was frequently mentioned.
"By the way, what happened with asking No. 1 to write lyrics? You said you were curious and wanted to get lyrics from him too?"
At the thrown question, Song Min-geun crumpled the sandwich wrapper and replied casually.
"I did ask him, but it's only been a few days, so he's probably still listening to the demo song and trying to get a feel for the mood."
"Yeah, that makes sense. Still, I never thought the great Song Min-geun, who makes professional lyricists line up, would actually accept lyrics from an amateur? Didn't you already pick the lyrics you liked? Can't you just start working with that? You said you were only taking No. 1's version for confirmation anyway."
Getting up from the sofa, Song Min-geun brushed off the crumbs clinging to his clothes.
"That's right, I can start the work."
It was at that moment.
-♬♪
His phone rang from inside the pocket of his jeans. Song Min-geun paused for a moment and checked the caller ID on the screen.
-No. 1
He recognized it as No. 1 from 'Produce That 100!', whom he had saved in his contacts a few days ago. Slightly surprised, Song Min-geun brought the phone to his ear.
"Hey, No. 1."
"Hello."
"Yeah. Good morning? What's up so early? Is there something you wanted to ask about the lyrics?"
From the other end of the phone came No. 1's calm voice.
"No, I'm calling because I've finished the lyrics."
Blinking both eyes, Song Min-geun furrowed his brows and replied.
"...W-wait, you're saying you're already done??"
*****
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